ROAM assemblies are exciting and educational. Students hear examples of traditional roots music – jazz, old-time, bluegrass, blues and Appalachian folk music – from musicians who are expert in these genres. Before each song, the performers give a brief, but in-depth explanation of the historical, social or cultural circumstances that led to the creation of the music.
ROAM workshops are provided by 1-2 artists and are designed to teach and engage individuals in a music theme of their choice.
Offerings
Roots to Rock takes the audience on a musical journey through time to demonstrate how Rock and Roll evolved in the United States. It begins with the blending of traditional Appalachian music, with its roots in the British Isles, and African-American music. These two forms, which developed separately and originally were isolated by geographic and cultural differences, came together with the birth of technology and the irrepressible enthusiasm of the pioneers of modern music such Chuck Berry, Hank Williams, Bo Diddley, and Elvis Presley. An engaging, upbeat performance! (Recommended for Grades K-12)
RECOMMENDATION FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH:
A Study in Black and White is a survey of two musical styles: African-American and Anglo-American. The African-American musical tradition has its roots in the African Diaspora, slavery, Reconstruction, and the Jim Crow era. The Anglo-American country music tradition has its roots in Appalachia and the British Isles. The program explores examples of the close connection between early “old-timey” country music and the blues. (Recommended for All Ages)
RECOMMENDATION FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH:
Unchained: From Slavery to Civil Rights The Civil War is perhaps the most defining event in U.S. history. Its effects, from the Emancipation Proclamation, through the difficulties of Reconstruction, to the successes of the Civil Rights Movement, have defined politics, culture, and race relations ever since. Through a combination of narrative and live performance, this program brings to life a colorful but turbulent period in our nation. (Recommended for All Ages)
Journey to the Land of the Blues is a program that takes students on a lively journey through the history of the blues, a music created out of the Southern African-American experience and one of the roots of Rock and Roll. Throughout the program, stories of social and cultural conditions are woven into the history of the music, including the experiences of slaves, the “Great Migrations” of African-Americans, and the technological advances that affected music and everyday life. (Recommended for Grades K-12)
OHIO (Only Happened In Ohio) celebrates the 205-year history of the state of Ohio. The program includes songs and stories of Moses Cleveland, the Wright brothers, and Ohio’s eight presidents. Other topics include the Underground Railroad, canals and rivers, the settlement of the Shakers, and Thomas Edison. Through a program of traditional acoustic music and folk dances, students will be offered a glimpse of what life was like in a time before electricity and modern technology. (Recommended for Grades K-5)
Women and the Roots of American Music explores how women have been important creators and exponents of all forms of popular music. This program will bring to life such colorful figures as Maybelle Carter, Memphis Minnie, Mahalia Jackson, and Patsy Cline. Women have long been overlooked and under-represented in museums, scholarship, and recorded anthologies, where the historical record is largely defined. (Recommended for Grades K-12)
One World Rhythm celebrates the rhythmic human spirit. Told as a multicultural, interactive story using various cultural hand drums and percussion, this program invites children to journey with an African rhythm as it travels from Africa to Cuba, Brazil, Haiti and the United States. The imagination of students will ignite as rhythms changes form, patterns and sound during their travels. Students participate by singing in several languages, playing body percussion and dancing. This uplifting story of traveling rhythms celebrates the African roots of much of today’s music.
(Recommended for Grades K-12)
Please contact us for more information on any of these one hour programs by calling (216) 321-9350.
